Objective    To investigate the role of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) in glomerulosclerosis secondary to adriamycin (ADR)-induced nephropathy in rats

and the effect of simvastatin on the expression of IL-1β.     Methods    Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal control

ADR-induced nephropathy (model)

and simvastatin-treated ADR nephropathy (treatment) groups. After ADR-induced nephropathy establishment in model and treatment groups

and eleven weeks of intragastrical administer of normal saline in normal control and model groups and of simvastatin in treatment group

the expression of IL-1β was detected by immunohistochemistry

RT-PCR and ELISA. Histopathological change of renal tissues was observed under light microscope

and glomerulosclerosis index (GSI) was also evaluated.     Results    Higher expression of IL-1β in kidney and GSI

as well as more severe loss of renal function were observed in model group than those in control group (all P0.01). Those changes were less severe in treatment group than in model group

suggesting treatment with simvastatin could significantly decrease the expression of IL-1β in kidney and GSI

and slow down the loss of renal function (P0.05

P0.01 and P0.05

respectively).     Conclusion    The renoprotective effect of simvastatin may be via decreasing the expression of IL-1β in kidney.